BIG on Bloor Festival of Arts & Culture Celebrates Ten BIG Years: 2007-2017

TORONTO, July 18, 2017 /CNW/ - Toronto's BIG on Bloor Festival, winner of Festivals & Events Ontario's Top 100, returns Saturday, July 22 from 1p.m. to 9p.m. and Sunday, July 23 from noon to 6p.m. for its 10th year with an expanded program, the inauguration of BIG Murals and BIG X, FIGMENT Toronto, and fresh editions of festival favourites.

The outdoor street festival liberates Bloor Street between Dufferin and Lansdowne for a celebratory car-free weekend, while animating West of Lansdowne along Bloor, and parts of the West Toronto Railpath with offsite projects. Drawing over 100,000 visitors in 2016, the Festival continues its tradition of original arts and culture programming while celebrating Bloordale with over 100 artists and 100 vendors.

The inaugural BIX X Stage / Fixie Fest, curated by Moe Naaman of Ride or Die T.O. brings Bloor and Ruttan Street to life on Saturday, including live music headlined by experimental artist MALOO and international rapstress Nitty Scott, and live graffiti mural canvassing by local legend KIZMET. The Celebrate Here mainstage, curated by Kvesche Bijons-Ebacher, will welcome festivalgoers with a temporary green lawn where a stellar line-up can be enjoyed.

JOUEZ Participatory/Performance Art Projects, curated by Carla Garnet, unites musicians, participatory artists, artist-run centres and collectives. The Holy Oak Stage at St. Clarens and Bloor Street will have live music programmed by Justin Oliver and Finn and Wolf Sonic Media, as well as performance art/video screenings organized by Mercer Union and TSV (Trinity Square Video). Watch for the following artist projects: Iain Downie: STARBURSTS, Clint Griffin: Here comes the Neighbourhood, Stephen Fakiyesi: The Trump Challenge..., Andrew Harwood: 'Glitter Blessings', Annie Wong: Free Hand, and Impulse[b:]: The Reading Room with Magdalena Suksi, and Andrea Werhun and Fan Wu.

How We Live In Cities, curated by Dyan Marie, offers 16 arts, culture and urban ecology workshops. The 3-hour-long relay projects provide hands-on opportunities to participate in interactive, multi-disciplinary activities, each encouraging garden making. Workshops by artists and architects: David Acheson, Eric Anthony Charron, Emily DiCarlo with Jacqui Arntfield, Jibola Fagbamiye, Denessa Gookool, David Hlynsky, Annette Mangaard, Thom Sokoloski, Rayna Sydney, Shyla Tibando, Kathleen Vaughan and BIG's Marjolein Winterink, and organizations including Graven Feather, STOP Plastic, and the Gardiner Museum.

PULP: Reclaimed Materials Art & Design delivers hands-on arts projects for the youngest constituents at Card-Yard curated by Rotem Yaniv. Creative upcycling with a milk crates installation by artists Natalia Bakaeva and Mark Francis, and an updated obstacle course, performances and activities. The Design Exchange hosts a paper crown making station here.

Also in store: Savour Bloor, The BIG Market Place, BIG Awards, and BAAF, which launches an outdoor art fair in the tennis courts at Dufferin and Bloor.

BIG on Bloor Festival is free and open to those from all ages and walks of life. Learn more at http://www.bigonbloorfestival.com.

SOURCE Big on Bloor Festival of Arts and Culture

For further information: [e-mail]